Driving mechanism for centrifugal separators.



No. 744,966. PATENTED NOV. 2 1903.

M. L. HOYT. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GENTRIE'UGAL SEPARATORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1901. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a i 9 Z Tm: NORRW nnzns c0, PHO'IG-LITHO WASHINGYON. n. c.

' 'No. 744,966. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1908.

M. L. HOYT. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1901. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

--No. 744,966. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

M. L- HOYT.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GENTRIPUGAL SEPARATORS.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1901.

N0 MODEL, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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U ITED Srarns Patented November 24, 1903.

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MATTHEW L. I-IOYT, OF LITTLEFALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO D. H. BURRELL dz COMPANY, OF LITTLEFALLS, NEW YORK.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR8.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,966, dated November 24, 1903. Application filed November 23, 1901. Serial No. 83,412. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHEW L. HOYT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Littlefalls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Driving Mechanism for Centrifugal Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the devices whereby the spindles of centrifugal separators are rotated, and has special reference'to the class of separators in which the bowl is frequently required to be detached from the driving mechanism and removed from the supporting-frame for cleaning the bowl, as is the case, for instance, in centrifugal creamers. The spindles of cream-separators are rotated either by a steam-turbine applied directly to the spindleor by a pulley and belt or similar device or by a gear mechanism which is operated by hand. In the particular kind of separators in question the spindle is permanently or otherwise attached to the bowl or drum in such manner that it is removed therewith.

One object of the invention is to couple the turbine or other driving device to the spindle by such means that the driving device remains properly supported in the frame when the bowl and spindle are withdrawn, so that the spindle can be again inserted without diificulty into the driving device and can be coupled thereto.

Another object of the invention is to center the turbine or other driving device by the spindle, so that although the driving device is detachable from the spindle no bearing is required in addition to the usual neck and step hearings in which the spindle is journaled at its upper and lower ends.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a centrifugal creamer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the 43 same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. l is a sectional elevation of the turbine-driving mechanism shown in the preceding figures, but on a greatly-enlarged scale. Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sections in lines 5 5 and 6 6, Fig. 4, respectively. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a pulley-driving mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modified construction of the lower end of the spindle and its hearing. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the separator, showing the same provided with a hand driving mechanism instead of a turbine mechanism. Fig. 10 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 9.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the bowl or drum of the separator, and a the spindle, which is secured to the samein any suitable manner.

The supporting-frame may be of any suitable construction, that shown in the drawings being composed of an upper bowl-shaped part B, in which the bowl A is arranged, an intermediate spherical part B, in which the driving device is arranged, and a lower part B having the form of a stand or foot of greater-or less height.

I) I) represent the usual receptacles mounted upon the frame around the top of the bowl for receiving the separated liquids, such as cream and skim-milk.

0, Figs. 1 and 4, represents the upper or neck hearing, which is arranged, as usual, in the upper part of the frame for supporting the spindle below the bowl. This bearing is mounted in any suitable and well-known manner so that it can yield laterally to a M certain extent. As indicated in Fig. 4, it is surrounded for this purpose by a spring 0.

D is a cylindrical sleeve, which is arranged in the upper part of the frame and which receives the neck-bearing in its upper portion. The intermediate portion 13 of the frame is provided at its upper end with a collar 5 which projects upwardly through the bottom of the upper frame part B. The sleeve is provided at its upper end with a flange which I rests upon the collar 5 and the neck-hearing is provided at its upper end with a flange c, which rests upon the sleeve D. The neckbearing is somewhat smaller in diameter than the sleeve D, so that it can move laterally in the same, and the spring 0 is interposed between the neck-bearing and the sleeve. The neck-bearing is held against upward movement in the sleeve by a screw-bolt 0 which is arranged horizontally in the upper portion of the intermediate frame part B and extends through an opening in the sleeve D into an annular groove formed in the neck-bearing, near the lower end thereof. This bolt also prevents the sleeve from turning in the frame. Upon withdrawing this bolt the neck-bearing and the sleeve can belifted out of the frame. The sleeve D extends downwardly into the upper portion of the intermediate frame part B and engages with its lower end the upper end of the turbine-casing E and secures or looks the latter in the frame. The casing is provided with an upwardly-projecting neck 6, having an internal shoulder e and around said shoulder a collar e which surrounds the lower end of the sleeve D. This holding or locking sleeve or member, which is movable in the axial direction of the casin g, is released and raised from the casing when the latter is to be removed from the frame.

F represents a steam-turbine wheel of any suitable construction arranged in the casing E. This turbine-wheel is provided with a hol-- low hub f, which extends with its upper end into the neck of the casing E and which is slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said neck, so that the hub in its normal position does not touch the neck, but is prevented by the latter from getting so far out of its normal position when the spindle has been withdrawn that it would be difficult to insert the spindle. The upper end of the hollowhubf is provided with an internal collar f, which fits snugly around the spindle and which contains a suitable coupling devicefor instance, a key or pin j", which projects into a groove f in the spindle. The portion a of the spindle below the groove is slightly smaller in diameter than the portion in which the groove is arranged, so that the groove opens downwardly and can be passed over the projecting inner end of the coupling pin or keyin inserting the spindle. The hollow hub 5 fis provided with a contracted lower end f which'fits snugly around the lower portion of the contracted part a of the spindle, so that j the hub is centered at both ends on the spindle. The contracted part a of the spindle is provided with a steep multiple screw-thread or worm a when the machine is designed to be convertible into a hand-machine. The lowermost portion a of the spindle is still further reduced in diameter to form a centering end of small diameter and is surrounded by a flanged sleeve 9, upon which the spindle a rests by the shoulder a at the upper end of its lowermost portion of. The flangeg at the of the sleeve, balls h,and a ball-cup 72. The latter is seated or formed in the top of a step H, which is secured in the lower portion of the intermediate frame part B. This step hasacentral openingin which the lower-portion of the sleeve turns.

I represents a retaining-cap which is secured to the projecting upper end of the step H, preferably by a screw-thread, as shown.

'sition at the lower end by the retaining-cap I and at the upper end by the upper neck e of the turbine-casing, so that the spindle can be conveniently inserted and coupled with the driving device after the bowl has been cleaned.

The spindle is supported directly upon the step-bearing-and the driving device is separately supported upon this hearing, whereby the driving device is relieved from the load on the spindle. The removal of the spindle or of the driving device, or both, does-not disturb the parts of the step-bearing,which latter remainsintact.

In order to facilitate the operation of engaging the groove of the spindle with the coupling pin or key of the hub of the turbine or other driving device, a holding device is provided, which can be pressed against the hub for holding the latter against turning whilethespindleisbeinginserted. Asshown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, this holding device is mounted on the turbine-casing and is constructed as follows: K represents a horizontal holding pin or ball which is arranged in front of the turbine-hub near the upper end of the latter. L represents a socket arranged in the upper portion of the turbine-casing. The inner portion is of the pin is smaller in diameter than the outer portion k and terminates near the turbine-hub, while theouter portion projects through an opening in the front plate m of the intermediate frame part B and forms a thumb-piece for pressing the pin backward against the hub. The pin is held in its outermost or retracted position by a spring 10 which is seated in the inner portion of the socket L and bears against a collar 70 011 the pin. The outward movement of the pin is limited by a, stop-pin Z, against which the collar 10 is held by the spring, Fig. 4. When the spindle is to be inserted, the holding-pin is pressed against the upper end of the turbine-hub, whereby the latteris prevented from turning. This enables the operator to readily engage the groove of the spindle with the coupling pin or key.

The front plate m of the housing, which is l with the pinion g and is mounted upon a formed by the intermediate frame part B, is removably secured to the latter by bolts m or other suitable fastenings and is provided with a hollow boss m for the steam-inlet pipe m of the turbine and a hollow boss m for the exhaust-pipe m Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The intermediate frame part B and the sleeve D, in which the neck-bearing is arranged, are provided with coinciding openings 41 n, Figs. 1 and 4, through which access can be had to the spindle in balancing the bowl.

0, Fig. at, represents a. speed-indicator of well known construction, which may be mounted in the upper portion of the front plate m. The worm-wheel 0' of this indioator is pressed in a well known manner against a worm 0 formed on the upper portion of thespindle, fortakingthe speed. The sleeve D is provided on its front side with an opening 0 through which the speed-indicator projects toward the spindle.

Fig. 7 shows my invention embodied in a power driving device in which a pulley is mounted on the spindlc and rotated byabelt, cord, or rope. The spindle and bearings are constructed and arranged as above described. P represents the pulley, which is shown as a grooved pulley, but may be of any othersuitable construction. p is the hub of the pulley, which is constructed with a contracted lower end 1), by which it is centered on the spindle and by which itrests upon theflanged sleeve g. The upper portion of the hub is provided with acoupling pin or keypiwhich engages with the groove of the spindle, and.

the upper end of the hub is loosely centered on the lower end of the sleeve D by a marginal flange p or other suitable means.

In the modified construction of the spindlestep (represented in Fig 8) the rotary member at the lower end of thespindle, which is the sleevegin the construction shown in Figs. 1, at, and 7, is a journal composed of an upper portion G, a lower portion G, and an intermediate flanged disk G The upper portion Got the rotary member is arranged in a socket formed centrallyin the lower end of the spindie, the lower portionG turns in the stepbearing G upon a ball G and the flanged disk Gr projects laterally beyond the spindle and supports the hubfof the driving device. When the spindle is withdrawn, this rotary member remains in the hearing and supports the driving device.

The turbine-driving mechanism (shown in Figs. 1 to 6) can be readily replaced by a hand driving mechanism, as represented in Figs. 9

and 10. For that purpose the turbine and its casing and the front plate m are removed and a hand driving mechanism of any suit able construction is substituted, which may consist, briefly stated, of a housing Q, which takes the place of the front plate 071., a wormwheel g, which meshes with the worm (t a pinion g secured to the shaft g of the wormwheel, a driving gear-wheel g which meshes shaft (1 and a hand-crank q, secured to the shaft g Bysupplying both a turbine mechanism and a hand driving mechanism with the same separator the user is enabled to employ the turbine mechanism in the summer, when much milk is to be separated, and the hand mechanism in the winter,when but little milk is to be separated.

The oil-passages are arranged in such manner that the oil is conducted from the upper or neck bearing to the lower or step bearing. As shown in Fig. 4, the neck-bearing is provided at its top with a depressed annular oilreceptacle r, fromwhich an oil-duct 1" leads to the inner surface of the hearing. The upper portion of the hub which fits around the spindle is provided with an oil'ductrithrough which the oil which has flowed down along the spindle enters the cavity of the hub. The oiL passes from the bottom of this cavity by a duct 1' to the top of the retaining-cap I and from the latter by a duct 7" to the ballbearing. 7

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a rotary spindle, a supporting-frame, a holding-sleeve arranged in said frame, a spindle-bearing arranged in said sleeve, and a fastening device which is attached to said frame and engages both said sleeve and said bearing, whereby the sleeve and the hearing are both secu red and released by the same device, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotary spindle, a supportingframe, a holding-sleeve arranged in said frame, a spindle-bearing arranged in said sleeve and provided with an annular groove, and a fastening-bolt attached to said frame and projecting through an opening'in said sleeve into the groove of said bearing, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a removable rotary spindle, a supporting-frame, a removable holding sleeve capable of vertical movement in said frame, a spindle-bearing arranged in said sleeve, and adriving device arranged below said sleeve, the latter engaging with its lowerend the upper end of the driving device, whereby the driving device is retained laterally in position by said sleeve when the spindle is withdrawn, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing on which the same is supported, and a driving device surrounding said spindle, the spindle and driving device beingcapable of free vertical movement with reference to each other and said driving device being supported on said bearing independently of said spindle, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing on which the same is supported, a driving device surrounding said spindle, the spindle and driving device being capable of free vertical movement with reference to each other and said driving device being supported on said bearing independently of said spindle, and means for coupling said spindle IIO with said driving device and permitting the ready removal of the spindle therefrom, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing on which the same is supported, a driving device surrounding said spindle, the spindle and driving device being capable of free vertical movement with reference to each other and said driving device being supported on said bearing independently of said spindle, and a coupling projection and upright groove in said spindle and driving device, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing provided with a ball -cone on which the spindle is supported, and a driving device surrounding said spindle, capable of free vertical movement thereon, and supported independently thereof on said ball-cone, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing on which the same is supported, a driving device surrounding said spindle, the spindle and driving device being capable offree vertical movement with reference to each other and said driving device being supported on said bearing independently of said spindle, means for detachably coupling the spindle with the driving device,and means for centering the driving device when the spindle is withdrawn, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a rotary spindle, a step-bearing on which the same is supported, a driving device surrounding said spindle, the spindle and driving device being capable of free vertical movement with reference to each other and said driving device being supported on said bearing independently of said spindle, means for retaining the driving device laterally in position on said hearing when the spindle is withdrawn, and a holding device retaining the upper end of said driving device laterally in position when the spindle is withdrawn, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a spindle, an upper and a lower bearing, a holding-sleeve which extends below the upper bearing, a turbinecasing which is centered at its upper end by said sleeve, and a turbine-wheel which is centered on the spindle and confined laterally at its upper end by said casing when the spindle is withdrawn, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of a spindle, an upper and a lower bearing, a turbine-wheel which is centered on the spindle, means for detach ably coupling the spindle with said wheel, a

retaining device applied to the lower bearing and holding the lower portion of the wheel in position when the spindle is withdrawn, a turbine-casing, and means for supporting the same, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of a spindle, an upper and a lower spindle-bearing, a turbine-casing arranged between said bearings, and an axially-movable locking member for holding said turbine-casing in position, substantially as set forth. I

13. The combination of a spindle,an upper and a lower spindle-bearing, a turbine-casin g arranged between said bearings, and a holding-sleeve which is movable toward and from the end of said casing and by which the latter is held in position, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination of a spindle, an upper and a lower bearing, a holding-sleeve which carries the upper bearing, a turbine-casing which is centered at its upper end by said sleeve, a turbine-wheel which is centered on the spindle and held in position at its upper end by said casing when the spindle is withdrawn, and a lower retaining device which holds the lower portion of the wheel in position when the spindle is withdrawn and which supports the turbine-casing, substantially as set forth.

'15. The combination of a spindle, an upper and a lower bearing, a holding-sleeve which carries the upper bearing, a turbine-casing which is centered at its upper end by said sleeve, a turbine-wheel which is centered on the spindle and held in position at its upper end by said casing when the spindle is withdrawn, and a retaining-cap on which the easing is supported and which is provided with a marginal flange which centers the lower end of the casing and with an inner retainingflange which centers the lower end of the wheel, substantially as set forth.

16. The combination of a spindle, an actuating device into which the spindle can be inserted and from which it can be withdrawn, a holding device adapted to be pressed against the actuating device for holding the latter against rotary movement when inserting the spindle, and a stationary support for said holding device, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination of aspindle, an actuating device into which the spindle can beinserted and from which it can be withdrawn, a spring-bolt which can be pressed against the actuating device for holding the latter against rotary movement when inserting the spindle, and a stationary support for said spring-bolt, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 20th day of November, 1901.

MATTHEW L. HOYT.

Witnesses:

HARVEY FELDMEIER, GEO. W. BELLINGER.

IIO 

